Interview Purpose and Journey The artist shares their life philosophy: "Mistakes aren't the end" - they describe their journey as a series of "respawns" with God giving new opportunities after each exhausted phase of life [1] Despite feeling they don't have conventional talents, they've found a unique ability to connect with people across different spaces [2] They embrace their role to communicate that "you are not your mistakes, you are not forgotten about, you are loved, you are worth it" [3] The artist expresses gratitude despite feeling undeserving: "I don't believe I deserve none of this, but I'm thankful for all of it" [4] Musical Background Grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist family with strict religious boundaries around music [5] Felt frustrated by the lack of music industry mentorship within the church community [6] Left home to attend school in Texas to pursue music education, eventually getting kicked out and auditioning for The Voice [7][8] Reaching Top 24 on The Voice provided their first experience testing their talent in a broader context [9] Learned to rap as a way to understand song structure: "16 bars, for the eight-bar course, another 16, maybe a bridge" [10] Identifies writing and arranging as their strongest skills, alongside vocal ability [11][12] Creative Process and Collaborations Works closely with production partner Adriel "Big Groove" Hawkins - "He's the pen, I'm the ink" [12] Was mentored by Grammy winner Madu Chinwah, who taught them about professional sound quality [13][14] Collaborated with gospel legend Fred Hammond on songs including "Yahweh" which became a single [15][16] Performed on the Soul Train Awards and Nick Cannon morning show [16] Has contributed background vocals for artists like Marvin Sapp and Jonathan McReynolds [17] Music Industry Insights Recognizes the music industry landscape has changed: "The labels are gone... there's no more buildings for other people" [18] Learned from Fred Hammond that "what got me in has been dead a long time, but they're just now having the funeral" [19] Believes in diversifying content beyond just music: "Don't plant your flag here. Plant various flags in different spaces" [20] Emphasizes the importance of collaboration: "Doing it by yourself ain't it" [21] Future Plans The artist has developed a concept for a limited series web series with seven episodes, with each episode ending with a song that would form an EP [22][23] Planning to release new music with their production partner instead of waiting for label opportunities [24] Working with a collective of musicians called the "Sunshine Band Collective" [25] Focusing on being authentic rather than chasing trends: "Be yourself. It's the hardest thing to be" [26]